2o12.o8.3o ~ The Dream of Dirt, almost done …

Living longer than intended but shorter than its welcome, Dirt City : Dream City will be dismantled from the Quarters district as of September 1. This is your last chance to see it before it’s gone, foreshadowing a surrounding neighbourhood in flux – an area more abandoned than “dangerous” or “violent,” as some have clucked echoing the claims of eager-to-bulldoze developers.

Looking back, the bold and inspirational project with the goofy name was an example of conceptual political art attempting to engage a community. In this it was more meaningful, brave and deliberate than any typical visual arts festival, being extended by a month an easy decision.

We walked amid brief-lived public art that in more than one instance went much deeper than merely paying safe and tedious tributes to multiculturalism. This was especially so in the case of Holly Newman’s Crow’s Advice – the crow illustrations being a throwaway compared to her solicitation of on-the-spot written advice on how to mend a broken heart, reminiscent of wooden prayers called Ema found in Shinto shrines. Work for and by the people moving naturally by, in other words.

Project co-ordinator Chelsea Boos, hired by the Edmonton Arts Council who funded the works by more than a dozen emerging artists, sums it up like so: “The most successful way the exhibition engaged the community was the spontaneous responses by people who live day-to-day in the neighbourhood. In a staggering show of support, the artworks were cared for and maintained by many folks who had no formal involvement in the project, but who felt invested in the event.

“For example, Tiffany Shaw-Collinge was approached by numerous passersby that said they had watered the garden when it had looked dry. A homeless person named Crusty befriended Nickelas Johnson and offered to stand guard at his sculpture overnight. The stories of people coming out of their comfort zone to help us – when they are the ones who supposedly need help – is the most magical outcome of this project.”

This I can vouch for. More than once, late at night, I visited the sites in the map above, and the art had made empty lots into places occupied by homeless, who understood this was here for them, too – unlike curfewed parks. There we stood together, sharing a bottle, the locals discussing what they thought the art might mean. It was great.

Brought in from New York City as an advisor for DC : DC, Kendal Henry considers the outdoor show’s impact. “When doing these kinds of projects we set a goal by which we can measure whether or not the effort was successful.

“Our goal here was simple. To open up a dialogue about the Quarters. Where has it been? Where is it now and how can this conversation influence the future? The process and artworks have done exactly that, but with some added surprises.

“For the artists, they discovered a new way to engage a public that is not necessarily art-savvy or art-interested and got them to really listen. For the community, some of the artworks gave them a purpose – the community garden – and a voice – advice on mending a broken heart – while others became a metaphor for the resilience of the Quarters. Dead trees planted in the gravel-covered lot that was once the York Hotel started to bud with new life.”

A common complaint from public-art-funding detractors is local artists aren’t hired to do the work (ignoring the fact construction costs, which make up the bulk of the budgets, are usually locally sourced). This project brought every local artist involved to a new level. Pictured at the top, Smokey Johnson’s giant severed hand, Ripped Off, has even been purchased into permanence.

“All-in-all this was a success,” Henry says, and he’s right. This event will be remembered both as a concept and as a street gallery, long after it’s gone. Those who sought merely beauty certainly found it, but of a more meaningful sort.

From here, Henry is heading to Kirov and St. Petersburg, then Melbourne, “to collaborate on a public art exhibition in the transitional community of Footscray.”

One last note. Artist Aaron Paquette, whose grassy tipi was built as a symbolic safe haven for anyone in need, ended up attracting a surprising sort of local. “There’s a rabbit who hangs out at my exhibit. Little hopper just likes to chill there and take in the peacefulness. Are you cooler than a rabbit? You’ll never know until you stop by to find out what all the zen times are about.

“If you’ve been thinking about going, go. If you haven’t been thinking about it, go. We spend our limited life and time on so many incredibly useless things. Grab a friend or 12 or adventure on your own, but at least get out there, see something people have created for you and have a story to tell.

“Just like everything else in life, it’ll be gone before you even know it. Be there now.”

Boos adds, “We are working on a mini documentary of the project, so you can mention it if you like.

“We might have a book project too, if anyone would like to submit content they have written or images they have taken. They can email it to cboos@edmontonarts.ca.”

I’m not sure if holding on is the right thing. Don’t get me wrong, obsessive documenter here, currently blogging about a thing.

But if Dirt City : Dream City was a weird and wonderful summer fling, maybe a more fitting echo would be the silence that follows, before those jackhammers and bulldozers start chewing with their mouths open.

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